For years, it has been customary in industry and commerce to use lockouts to disable power sources for machinery and equipment when the machinery and equipment is being worked on either for maintenance or repair. In recent years, this standard procedure has become mandatory for businesses in the United States which are subject to the regulations of the Occupation Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor. In the past, lockout devices have customarily been locks, either keyed or combination, but their use has been by necessity limited to energy devices having handles and hasps to which the locks could be applied. In order to disable other types of power sources such as electrical switches that did not have operating handles or could not be readily adapted to receive hasps, it was necessary to install the switches in enclosures and provide mechanisms to lock out the entire enclosure even if only one switch had to be disabled. However, when an entire enclosure is locked out to protect only one switch, other workers cannot disable or actuate other switches for circuits in the same enclosure until the person who locked out the first switch unlocks the enclosure by removing his lockout device.
As part of its safety regulations, OSHA requires employers to establish safety procedures for deenergizing and reactivating equipment and machinery and to monitor and document compliance with these established regulations.
Accordingly, this invention is directed to a lockout device which may be used with individual switches of the type that do not accept locks, such as circuit breaker switches and enables an employer to completely monitor and document the deenergization and reactivation of such switches.
Another object of this invention is a lockout device which may be used with an individual switch of the circuit breaker type and when used does not affect or interfere with the operation of other switches in the same bank or enclosure.
Another object of this invention is a strip type lockout device which is adaptable to switches that do not have hasps or operating handles.
Another object of this invention is a one use, snap-in lockout device that must be cut away to be removed.
Another object of this invention is a strip type lockout device that can be removed only by rendering the device inoperative.
Another object of this invention is a strip type lockout device that can be snapped into place by the installer but must be cut apart to be removed.
Another object of this invention is a strip type lockout device that carries indicia which enables an employer to fully monitor and document the installation and removal of the lockout device in accordance with its established safety procedures and to thereby identify any employee who may violate safety procedures.
Other objects of the invention may be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.